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APS Metal Thefts

The Albuqerque School District is dealing with a recent string of metal thefts.

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Updated: 9:46 AM MDT Oct 16, 2014

APS Metal Thefts

The Albuqerque School District is dealing with a recent string of metal thefts.

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Updated: 9:46 AM MDT Oct 16, 2014

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WEBVTT THE SETTLEMENT IT INVOLVED. THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ALSO CONTINUES TO WRESTLE WITH METAL THEFTS. IT SAYS THIEVES HAVE TARGETED SEVERAL SCHOOLS WITHIN THE LAST YEAR...TAKING ANY METAL THEY FIND. AS ACTION 7 NEWS REPORTER MATT HOWERTON EXPLAINS...WHEN THOSE THIEVES CASH IN, YOU LOSE. YEAH DOUG AND FOOTING THE BILL FOR THESE THEFTS HAS BEEN AN UNWANTED DILEMMA. BUT THAT'S NOT ALL. SOME THEFTS HAVE INTERRUPTED CRITICAL SERVICES EVERY SCHOOL NEEDS. $175,000. THAT'S HOW MUCH METAL THEIVES HAVE COST ALBUQUERQUE PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THE LAST YEAR. FROM BLEACHERS...TO AIR CONDITIONERS.... "TO ELECTRICAL CABLE WHICH EVEN UNDER LOCK AND KEY WAS TAKEN FROM HERE AT COMMUNITY STADIUM EARLIER THIS MONTH." A POLICE REPORT SAYS APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE OF COPPER WIRING WAS PULLED FROM THE GROUND. AND THIS WASN'T THE FIRST TIME THE STADIUM WAS HIT...IT WAS THE THIRD. A-P-S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS JOHN DUFAY SAYS THIS THEFT COST THE DISTRICT 65-HUNDRED BUCKS TO FIX. "whether it's the economy or the way it is...we're seeing a much bigger push for theft." . DUFAY SAYS THEFTS LIKE THIS INVOLVING ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS ...PUT OTHER IMPORTANT SERVICES SCHOOLS AT RISK. "you've fried a number of electronics so the damage is quite great. "we lose fire alarms we lose intercom systems we lose telephone systems." "it just depends where that surge goes into the system." A-P-S HAS TRIED TO CURB METAL THEFTS BY ADDING MORE POLICE PATROLS, SURVEILLANCE, AND LIGHTING. BUT DUFAY SAYS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IS STOPPING THE CROOKS, WHO ARE COMMITTED TO MAKING QUCK CASH. "they're willing to take that risk... that's really difficult to fight and figure out why people would do that." 175 -THOUSAND DOLLARS IS A LOT OF MONEY, BUT THE DISTRICT SAYS THAT'S NOT NEARLY AS PAINFUL AS WHAT IT DEALT WITH FOUR YEARS AGO--WHEN METAL THEFTS CONTRIBUTED TO 600-THOUSAND DOLLARS IN LOSSES.

APS Metal Thefts

The Albuqerque School District is dealing with a recent string of metal thefts.